Work holder for endless conveyers



May 17, 1938. o. E. WESTLUND WORKHOLIDER FOR ENDLESS CONVEYERS Filed May 13, 1937 lololb 0.70- 01.

Asa arr? yo" car [/TEJf/um/ 7 y k/b' /727o/vreys Patented May 17, 1938 n j 2,117,641

' UNlTEl) STATES PAT'E'NTOFFI'CE WORK HOLD-ER FOR ENDLESS CONVEYERS Oscar E. Westlund, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to Mereen Johnson Machine Company, Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Application May 13, 1937, Serial No. 142,419

3 Claims. (Cl. 143-49) My invention relates to machines employing that are secured to the bottom of the frame l2 endless conveyers for delivering work such as and have bevelled lower end surfaces. The frame boards or strips to saws, planers or the like and is l2, in respect to the lower frame and the skids, is directed to an improved work holder for holding herein treated as fixed or rigid but, in practice,

5 the board or the like tightly pressed on the endthe usual means for adjusting but rigidly setting 5 less conveyer while it is being delivered to the saw the said frame and the shoe l5 and belt M in or cutting instrument. Generally stated, the indifferent vertical positions for action on boards vention consists of the novel devices, combinaor the like of different thickness may, of course, tions of devices and arrangement of parts herebe provided. In Fig. 2 the normal cross section inafter described and defined in the claims. of the elastic presser belt is indicated by dotted 10 The nature of the invention and the important lines, and the compressed condition thereof is function thereby performed will be more fully indicated by full lines. described after having first described the same The importance of the cross sectional form of that is incorporated in a sawing machine, illusthe presser belts I4 will now be considered. In

trated in the accompanying drawing, wherein the first place, this form gives a minimum width 15 like characters indicate like parts throughout the of surface engagement between the narrow inner several views. edges of the belts and the shoes I5 and a maxi- Referring to the drawing: mum Width of engagement with the board or work Fig. l is a view partly in side elevation and II]. In the second place, the V-shaped or bevelled 2O partly in vertical longitudinal section, showing formation gives a maximum of side width for the machine embodying the invention, being takbulging of the elastic belts under pressure proen on the line l! of Fig. 2; and duced between the board and the shoes. In the Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section taken on third place, the tendency toward lateral swaying the line 22 of Fig. 1. of the belts under compression is neutralized by The numeral Sindicates metal beams that conthe reversed bevel of the side surfaces of the stitute elements of a lower supporting frame, on belts. In practice it has been found that when which are placed parallel longitudinally exthe elastic belts are made square or rectangular tended channel-shaped skids 4, rigidly secured. in cross section, compression thereof will tend to Endless sprocket chains 5 are arranged to run sway or rock the belts toward one side or the over sprockets 6 carried by shafts l journaled in other. As above stated, this action is neutralized 30 suitable bearings, not shown but which would be in the reverse bevel of the applicants belts. Of rigid on the lower framework. The upper porcourse, the under surface of the fixed shoes l5 tions of these chains are arranged to work in the Will be very smoothly or highly polished, so that channel-shaped skids 4. The ends of the skids 4 the frictional engagement between the belts and 5 are slotted at 8 to permit the chain to pass freely these shoes is reduced to a minimum. from and to the sprocket chains. Preferably, the The efficiency of the a a ent of belts and left-hand sprocket 6 will be the positively drivcooperating devices described has been thoroughen sprocket. Certain links of the chains are 1y de o t in Practice, and the tements provided with driving lugs 9 that positively force of the advantages above made are based on aca board id to and past the cutting instruments, tual experience. 40

which, as illustrated, are ordinary power driven What I claim is: circle saws i I. 1. In a machine of the kind described, the com Rigidly secured above the skids is an overhead bination with skids and feed belts movable on said frame it on which are loosely journaled lateralskids, of an overhead frame having guide wheels 5 lyspaced pairs of grooved wheels l3. Working journaled thereon, and an elastic belt running 5 in the grooved wheels i3 is a work holding or over said grooved wheels, said belt having trunprcsser belt it, which, in transverse cross section, cated V-shaped form in cross section, arranged is in the form of a truncated V or, in other words, with its outer relatively wide surface for engageis in the shape of a dovetail flange and fits corment with the board or work movable by said 59 respondingly formed peripheral grooves in the feed belt, said overhead frame being provided be- 5 wheel This belt it is of a pliable material such tween said guide wheels with belt pressing means as rubberized fabric. The narrow inner edges of with the under surface of which the relatively the belts i l are arranged to run against the under narrow inner surface of said elastic belt is ensurfaces of belt pressing means which are illusgageable.

trated as being in the nature of fixed shoes [5 2. The structure defined in claim 1 in which 55 ed rigidly secured shoe, and an elastic presser belt running over said wheels and with frictional engagement with and under said shoe, said belt being of truncated V-shaped form in cross section with its under surface exposed for contact with 5 the work being fed by said feed belts.

OSCAR E. WES'ILUND. 

